Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1887-01-29
JAN. 90, 1887.
MANUFACTURES IN MONTANA.
A Wide Field, With Plenty of Material
and Water Power.

A Wide Field, With Plenty of Material
and Water Power.
Col. w. F. Wheeler, of Helena sends Us
the following, written by himself for the
Independent, and which appeared in that
journal June 9Th, 1888. In view of the
tact that Great Falls is soon to become
Just what the Colonel advocates in his ar
ticle. we publish it:
sThe necessity and importance Of es-
tablishing such manufactures in our midst,
as will use up the raw material we produce
here is evident; for thereby we save
freights on our products to the Eastern
States. and also upon the manufactured ar
ticles when returned to us; besides giving
employment to hundreds and thousands OF
our own population. No country can
thrive unless by diversity of productions.
H.only gold and silver are produced
they must be exported to be of value. Ii
the sources of supply cease, the country is
left desolate, unless it has other resources,
as land suitable for farming, or stock
raising. or forests of timber, or mines OF
coal and iron, which by labor can be util
lied to supply the wants of the inhabl-
tants. Fortunately such 8 country is
Montana.
We have in less than twenty years pro
duced nearly 100000, 900 in value of the
precious metals. The pursuit of this in
dustry has induced the settlement here of
our present population. The production
is not as great as during the first few years
after the discovery of gold. For a while,
as the yield Of the mines diminished the
population diminished; but soon other
1rces of wealth were developed, and the
population began to increase. Persons who
came here on horseback,or with mule and
cattle trains, found that this was a good
country for cattle and horses, and a few
commenced to keep stock-to raise horses
and cattle, and some even found it prof.
able to make butter and cheese, because
the prices obtained for these products
made a great profit.
Following their example, some sowed
grain to feed the horses in the mining
camps and towns, that could not be kept
on the ranges in the winter, and still others
planted potatoes and sowed seeds of other
vegetables. for all of which tremendous
profits were realized. Then others erec-
ted sawmiIls to make lumber for dwell
ings, and still others grist mills to make
wheat into -four, which they sold at a
great profit.
Beef cattle and mutton sheep were
raised for home use entirely, and brought
good prices. Then some men went to the
States, as far as Texas or California, to
make purchases where they could buy the
cheapest, and drove focks and herds here,
to grow up and fatten upon u rich and
nutricious native grasses. Soon they were
enabled to supply the home demand, and
when that got dull they tried the expert
ments OF driving their cattle as far as Chi
a There they found a good market,
and the splendid beef cattle of Montana
came into demand. Men came from the
markets east and bought our wool, and
sheep raising was found to be profitable.
After this, much surplus capital was in
vested in herds of cattle and horses, and
flocks of sheep, and great fortunes We're
made thereby. Stock raising in Montana
has become a mania, and capitalists from
all the east are taking up ranges and en-
gaging in the business.
All we have said above shows that, |
aside, from mining, Montana has other re-
sources which bid fair to outstrip that in
dustry in the annual value of wealth pro-
duced. And then the discovery has been
made that the territory has one of the most
healthful climates in the world, that it is a
good place to live in, to raise healthy chill
dren, and that it is as good as any place to
die in. For these reasons thousands CT
people are focking here from the east and
from every country in Europe, to avail
themselves of the advantages this great
new land affords to the poor man, where
he can buy land at first cost, as well as to
the capitalist seeking profitable invest
ment for his money.
For twenty years we have labored and